Cushioning device for air-cylinders of dumping-cars and brakes.



W. D. JONES.

OUSHIONING DEVICE FOR AIR CYLINDERS 0F DUMPING CARS AND BRAKES. APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1913.

1,1 12,803. Pat'ented 0011.6, 1914.

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nEiTEn sTETEs TETEET oEErc WILLIAM D. JONES, OF PATILLAS, PORTO RICO.

GUSHIONING DEVICE FOR. AIR-CYLINDERS 0F DUMPING-GARS .Z-L'ND BRAKES.

Application filed May 13 To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM D. JoNEs, citizen of the United States, residing at Patillas, Porto Rico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cushioning Devices for Air-Cylinders of Dumping-Cars and Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cushioning devices, and particularly to means for cushioning the pistons of dump cars operated by air.

In dump cars in which the car body is tilted by means of air cylinders and pistons, the air cylinders used are some sixty inches long, and traveling in the air cylinder is a piston head attached to a hollow piston rod. Inside the hollow piston rod there is a push rod which is loose but which is intended to travel with the piston, this push rod being in turn connected to cables by which the body of the car is dumped or righted.

It has been found in practice that the push rod and piston head do not travel together and that ordinarily there is considerable space between the solid piston head and the push rod with which the piston head has to contact before the push rod can be operated.-

About 90 pounds pressure of air is applied to the piston to dump the car, and, therefore,

when the piston head travels under this pressure for some distance and strikes the extremity of the push rod, the piston is very often broken and the dumping mechanism put out of order. cables connecting the piston to the [tilting body of the car break or stretch, orthe cable clips become loose and, as a consequence, the cross head is allowed to travel too far and the piston head strikespthe end of the cylinder, and this either breaks the piston head, knocks out the end of the cylinder or breaks the flange of the cylinder body.

The main object of my invention is to provide means for preventing the piston head strikin the push rod with the force above referred to and cushioning the impact of the piston head against the push rod, and further to provide means for cushioning the impact of the piston head against the end Specification of Letters Patent.

Again, quite often the wall of the cylinder in case, by any chance, the cable should stretch, break, etc.

My invention is illustrated in the accoinpanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a dump car adapted to be operated by air pressure; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of one of the cylinders of such a dump car as that shown in Fig. 1 showing my cushioning devices applied thereto; i Referring to these drawings, ldesignates an air cylinder connected in any suitable manner at one end, as by means of the pipe 2, to a suitable source of air or other motive fluid under'pressure. The opposite end of the cylinder 1 is closed by means of the cylinder' head 3 and will be hereafter termed the non-pressure end of the cylinder. Disposed'within the cylinder is a piston l of any suitable construction and attached to this piston and extending out through the nonpressure end of the cylinder is a tubular piston rod 5. This tubular piston rod is simply for the purpose of guiding the piston and of guiding the supporting push rod ,6 whichis disposed within thetubular piston rod. The push rod 6 projects beyond the tubular piston rod and at its outer end is provided with a clevis 7 or like connection to a cross head 8 which in turn is connected to a cable 9 passing over pulleys and operatively connected to the tilting body not shown.

The constructionof dump cars of this type being well-known it is not thought to be necessary to illustrate the details of such a dump car. So far as described, the parts are those used in what is known as the Western dump cars. It usually happens that the rod Passed Oct. 6,1914. .1912. Seri'.a1No.767,397. 1

6 does not abut against the piston t as it shoulder formed by a collar 11 disposed upon the push rod. The spring 10 is about six inches long and pro1ects beyond the end of the push rod for distance of about two" rod it strikes the spring which compresses and breaks the force of the blow, therefore saving the piston from being broken.

In order to avoid the breaking of the non-pressure endor head of the cylinder by contact with the piston, I provide the cushioning spring 12. This spring is made of half-inch steel, and where the cylinder is sixty inches long the spring should be about twelve inches long. The spring rests loosely upon the tubular piston rod so that the piston rod may play through the spring without affecting it. Ordinarily this spring is entirely idle, but in case the piston travels too far it will abut against this spring and the force of the blow delivered by the piston against the non-pressure head or end of the cylinder will be cushioned.

It will be of course understood that in this form. of dumping car there are operating air cylinders disposed one at each side of the car and at opposite ends thereof and that one cylinder acts to tilt the tilting body of the car to a dumping position while the other cylinder acts to return the body to its carrying position. The reason for providing a push rod, not connected directly to the piston but. to a certain extent independent thereof is that this form of dump car is capable of operation not only by air pressure butby hand, and therefore it is necessary to have the rod connected to the cross head capable of independent, movement from the piston.

In air brake mechanism forfreight cars, the same conditions are to a large extent true and the brake mechanism, is intended.

to be operated either by air or' hand and my devices are adapted to be used in connection with brake mechanism as well as with dumping cars. I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the specific application of my improved cushioning devices. The cushioning devices as before described have been used in connection with the western dump cars or large engineering works and have proven highly efiicient. Vilhile previous to the application of my invention to these cars the cars were con,-

stantly in the shop because of breakages due to conditions before pointed out, cars that have been equipped with my cushioning devices have not been in the shop for any cylinder repairs since they were sent out.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In mechanism of the character de scribed, a cylinder having a pressure inlet at one end, the other end being closed, a solid piston disposed within the cylinder, a tubular piston rod connected to the pis ton and extending out through the nonpressure end of the cylinder, a push rod disposed Within the tubular piston rod and having frictional engagement therewith, and a cushioning device mounted upon the red at the end adjacent the piston and projecting beyond the rod and adapted to be engaged by the piston head before the engagement of the head with the rod.

2. In a mechanism of the character described, a cylinder, a piston therein, a tubular p ston rod passing out through one end of the cylinder, a loose rod disposed within the tubular piston rod and adapted to be engaged by the piston, and a spring loosely surrounding the tubular piston rod, less in length than the cylinder and disposed at the said end of the cylinder and engageable by said piston to cushion the blow of the piston against the end of the cylinder.

3. In a mechanism of the character described, a cylinder connected at one end to a source of fluid under pressure, a solid piston in the cylinder, a tubular piston rod passing out through the end of the cylinder opposite the pressure inlet, a push rod disposed loosely within the piston rod and adapted to be engaged by the piston, a coil spring mounted upon the inner end of the last-named rod and adapted to engage the )iston before the )iston en -a es the rod and a spring surrounding the tubular piston rod at the end of the cylinder opposite the inlet end thereof, of less length than the cylinder and adapted to cushion the impact, of the piston with. said last-named end ofthe cylinder.

4:. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with a, cylinder, a piston therein operating under pressure and, a push rod extending into the cylinder, disconnected from the piston but disposed in the path of travel of the piston, of a cushioning spring engaging the push rod and projecting beyond the end of the rod adjacent the piston and adapted to be engaged by the piston prior to the engageinent of the piston with the rod.

In a mechanism of the character de scr bed, the combinatlon wlth a cylinder,

a piston therein operating, under pressure,

a tubular piston rod projecting through the push rod and adapted to be engaged by 10 one end of the cylinder and a push rod exthe piston prior to the engagement of the tending loosely into the hollow piston rod piston and the rod.

and adapted to be engaged by the piston In testimony whereof I aflix my signain its travel, of a shoulder formed upon ture in presence of two witnesses.

the push rod inward of the extremity of WVILLIAM D. JONES.

the rod adjacent the piston, and a spring Witnesses: I disposed against said shoulder and nor- WALTER T. GARRIsoN,

mally projecting beyond the extremity of FRED MEIKLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of .Patents,

Washington, .D. G. 

